Darth Arctis
'''Darth Arctis '''is one of the highest-ranking officials in the Sith Empire. Once an emissary of the Dark Council, he rose to become one of the leading figures in the reformed Empire under Darth Acina. Arctis was given control over the Office of Military Offense, and is responsible for directing the Empire's armed forces during times of war. Arctis has led an impressive career spanning several decades. Even before Zakuul's conquests, he was an influential figure in the Imperial hierarchy. During the Great War, he participated in countless military campaigns that devastated the Republic. Among the most notable of these are his involvement with the Imperial Armada's mission to destroy the ''Star of Coruscant ''and his victory against invading Republic forces on Ziost. During the Cold War, Arctis made a discovery on the planet that saw him appointed director of the Special Projects Division of the Imperial Military. The details of the division's operations are unknown and remain classified. Biography Early Life Childhood Arctis was born the eldest son of Darth Vessler, a well-established Sith Lord and heir to the Kressh bloodline. His father had lived his life driven by his ambitions; as such, he made many enemies during his rise to power. However, he kept himself several steps ahead of his rivals by earning favor with the Dark Council of the time. At some point, Vessler was granted dominion over Dromund Fels, the fourth planet of the Dromund system, where Arctis would spend the bulk of his younger years. Even as a child, he frequently sat in on lessons in the Force held by his father’s entourage of Inquisitors. It was through these early teachers that he became convinced that sentiments such as compassion and mercy led only to weakness. Darth Vessler's Demise Vessler eventually came into conflict with Darth Ikoral, one of the most decorated lords of that era. Despite his considerable resources and standing, the authority and power Ikoral wielded dwarfed that of Vessler’s power base. When the two Sith ultimately resolved to end their contention in a duel to the death, Vessler was struck down before the eyes of his young son. Despite his distaste for Vessler, Ikoral believed the legacy of Kressh was to continue — as he strongly valued Sith blood. His belief in the superiority of the pure-blooded prompted Ikoral to take his deceased rival’s son as his own. Apprentice to Darth Ikoral It was through Ikoral that Arctis received his Sith moniker and was trained in the ways of the dark side. Although his instruction in the Sith arts had begun early, Arctis was one of many apprentices Ikoral had taken under his tutelage. Consequently, he was forced to contend with almost constant challenges from his peers, but the majority of his competition stemmed one other apprentice in particular. Vindican, despite being considered their master’s greatest pupil, despised Arctis — knowing it was he who commanded true respect and favor from Ikoral. Jealousy pushed Vindican to continuously attempt to bar Arctis’ progress, all the while also trying to outperform him. This envy was only furthered by his rival’s response; Arctis simply shrugged off any striving to undermine him and consistently dismissed Vindican as irrelevant. Arctis tolerated because he was rather amused by his actions, but he did truly consider Vindican beneath him. Regardless, it was through this contention that his interest in used his enemies' emotions against them was piqued. Vindican was later forced to abandon the rivalry when Arctis advanced to become a Sith Lord. Though the two parted ways on bitter terms, the two would never cross paths again. Great War By the time the Sith made their return and war with the Republic began, Arctis was well-established in the Imperial hierarchy and had ascended to become a Darth. During the conflict, he would be assigned to the Sphere of Military Offense. Reclamation of Korriban Arctis traveled to Korriban shortly after Imperial forces secured the planet. Despite their old rivalry, he paid his respects to Vindican, who fell during a confrontation with Jedi Knights aboard the Republic's space station that orbited the Sith burial world. Second Battle of Bothawui "Reimagine your strategy and give the Dark Council the swift victory you promised. Failure will find you explaining such a blunder to an audience far less patient than I am." Darth Arctis, to Grand Moff Zellos Arctis was dispatched to Bothawui alongside a number of Imperial military personnel to reinforce the depleted army under the command of Grand Moff Zellos. Despite his counsel, the Grand Moff continued to unwisely throw troops into battle in direct assaults against the Republic defenders. Despite their success, the cost of the victory was humiliating: Republic forces under the leadership of Jedi Master Belth Allusis had managed to inflict massive casualties before they were finally killed. In the aftermath of the battle, Arctis ridiculed Zellos for acting so recklessly and wished him luck in explaining his blunder to the Dark Council. Arctis became an associate of Darth Vengean sometime after the conflict on Bothawui. He later met and befriended one of Vengean's subordinates, Darth Baras. Battle of Hoth TBA In Defense of Ziost TBA Cold War Conspiring with Vengean and Baras The treaty left much of the galaxy stunned, but it left Vengean particularly infuriated, who believed it an utter disgrace. He and Baras began plotting to destabilize the tense peace between Empire and Republic; Baras ultimately devised a secret operation to assassinate the Republic's top military figures, leaving them practically leaderless when war inevitably resumed. Vengean called on Arctis to join them in their deliberations, as he was the only ally who had earned a degree of trust from them both. He later compiled a list of several candidates best suited to infiltrate the Republic Military as part of Baras' initiative, which had been named "Plan Zero." Sith Academy on Korriban Immediately after the treaty was signed, Arctis was given a supervisory position in the staff of the Sith Academy on Korriban; his appointment was arranged by Vengean, presumably as a sign of favor. He held a strong degree of contempt for those of the academy instructors who refused to acknowledge the ways of the Sith would inevitably evolve over time. During his tenure, Arctis executed dozens of overseers, giving him a reputation for zero tolerance for incompetence in his subordinates. In an uncommon practice, he oftentimes stepped in to personally administer trials to the classes of acolytes whose overseers he had killed. His talent for instruction led to many Sith Lords in search of apprentices requesting that Arctis train prospective acolytes for them. Personality Cold and calculative, Darth Arctis is known for his total lack of empathy and cruel nature; even in his younger years he was notably uncaring for those around him. He rarely succumbs to rages of emotion and passion many Sith draw strength from, maintaining a chillingly calm demeanor in even the most heated of situations. He is a master of subterfuge and sees manipulation as one of the greatest weapons a Sith can wield. In his eyes, the ends always justify the means, and thus there are very few, if any, lines he will not cross to see his goals accomplished. Arctis prefers to command his operations from the shadows, directing affairs through his subordinates while he remains behind the scenes. He maintains residences in Kaas City as well as Dromund Fels, over which he holds dominion. Having served the Empire for several decades, Arctis firmly believes in Sith ideals and is completely devoted to the Imperial cause. Powers, abilities, and equipment Darth Arctis maintains the attire of an accomplished veteran Sith Lord; he is typically clad in dark robes and keeps his true face concealed behind a mask. Arctis carries a red-bladed lightsaber, which he constantly keeps hitched to his utility belt. Summarized Information Darth Arctis heads the Office of Military Offense, giving him command over the armed forces during periods of war. In addition to that duty, he is also one of three co-chairs of the Imperial High Command and chief of the Imperial Security Directorate.Category:Characters Category:Sith Lords